With Uganda pushing for closer regional and continental integration amongst African countries, a trade expert has said the country is in a good position to be the main interlink for different regional markets.
During the recent International Buyer’s Week organized by PACIED, Wamkele Mene, the secretary general of the African Continental Free Trade Area, said: “The expansion of markets to other parts of the region outside COMESA and outside of the East African Community is indeed becoming a reality. Uganda’s strong agricultural base, emerging manufacturing sector, and strategic location make it well-placed to serve as an anchor for East Africa’s export expansion.”
Mene made these remarks as the first shipment of Ugandan coffee, dairy and pharmaceutical products arrived in Nigeria under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) preferences. He called for the continent to deal with the challenges of efficiency, quality and connectivity.
Mene noted that the African Continental Free Trade Area is the most ambitious economic transformation and integration project since the end of colonialism in Africa.
“It is not just about tariff elimination. It is about building an integrated economy, a single market, about expanding our manufacturing capacity, particularly in value-added production, and it is about strengthening Africa’s position in global trade,” Mene argued.
Mene argued that in order for Uganda to consolidate the progress that has been achieved in regards to exports, he advised that the government should increase investment in value addition, agriculture and agro-processing industrial activity, and improve logistics and market connectivity.
He highlighted the need to leverage Uganda’s partners for investment in industrial development, such as the African Development Bank, which can readily provide finance. He also emphasized that efficient transport, warehousing and cold chain systems are essential to market connectivity and competitiveness, and highlighted that initiatives such as the new air cargo corridor between Entebbe and Abuja mark a bold step forward in connecting East Africa and West Africa.
“Platforms such as Buyers Week provide the connection linking producers, distributors, investors, and policymakers. By leveraging the AfCFTA instruments, such as the Adjustment Fund, which we have established jointly with the African Development Bank, and also the AfCFTA private sector strategy, which identifies a number of priority sectors, I believe Uganda is well-positioned in invoking all of these tools, well-poised to de-risk investment, finance trade, and facilitate cross-regional trade,” Mene noted.
Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Trade Gen Wilson Mbadi, noted that Uganda is entering a new era of accelerated export growth, driven by the African Continental Free Trade Area, regional market integration and the country’s 10- fold growth strategy.
Gen Mbadi said the AfCFTA presents one of the biggest opportunities for Uganda to achieve this transformation. With a market of 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion, AfCFTA unlocks unprecedented access for Ugandan goods and services.
He said Uganda stands to benefit greatly, especially in West Africa where AfCFTA has opened 14 new markets, including Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest economies. Opportunities are also expanding in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia for Uganda’s coffee, dairy, fruits, vegetables and fish.
“The AfCFTA provides Uganda with duty- free and quota-free access to a continental market. It enables us to competitively export coffee, tea, fish, dairy, sugar, bananas, cocoa, fruits and spices,” he noted.
The minister further highlighted opportunities across agriculture, tourism, minerals and science and innovation. From agro-processing and tourism services to mineral beneficiation and digital innovation, AfCFTA supports Uganda’s entry into emerging regional value chains.
He pointed to the ongoing reforms to support exporters, including the Export Support Facility, Uganda’s recent admission into Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa, and plans for an Export Credit Insurance Guarantee Scheme managed by UDB to de-risk export financing.
Mbadi also reechoed the importance of trade facilitation reforms, including digitizing customs processes, strengthening border infrastructure, and adopting the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System to ease cross-border payments using local currencies.